Toward a university-community-school partnership model - the experience of child development fund

Abstract

A tripartite university-community-school model is conceptualized and examined in the current development of the Child Development Fund Projects (CDF Projects) of the government of Hong Kong Special Administration Region. Models of university-community from the outreach-scholarship, university-school from teacher training, and communityschool from health promotion were utilized to inform the building of an optimal tripartite model for the CDF Projects. The model can facilitate the development of important issues and agenda, and guide the direction of community action research and evaluation of services and practices. We proposed a university (community-school) partnership model from our working experience with both community and school sectors in the CDF Projects for the development of children from disadvantaged background. The CDF Projects have the components of Targeted Saving, Mentorship Programme, and Personal Development Plan. Our Network, the Network for Health and Welfare Studies, was commissioned an evaluation study for the first batch of the community-based CDF Projects, an on-going action research study on a school-based CDF Project of the first batch, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Quality Mentorship Network on the development of a Quality Process Data Management system, translation of research outcomes into CDF Projects operation manual and training, and opening opportunities for student internship and training program implementation. Experiences accumulate through our long-term and deep involvement into work of the CDF Projects and they have prepared and led us into the unique role in supporting and achieving the goals of child development. Through the proposed tripartite model, partnership and collaborative research and practice work can be mapped out and university participation in the three components of the CDF Projects can be planned and expanded.